


Of Miscommunications and Museums

by isolatedwriter



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Gets a Hug, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Engagement, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Some Humor, Some Plot, Steve Rogers & Sam Wilson Friendship, everything after winter solider didn't happen, some self hatred but it ends happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-17 09:41:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29348337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isolatedwriter/pseuds/isolatedwriter
Summary: Based on the prompt:So A is shopping for an engagement ring for B with B’s friend and calls B to ask what time they’ll be home. B says they’re with the friend that A is with so A freaks out and assumes the worst. Turns out B was getting A a birthday present.Where A is Bucky, B is Steve and B's friend is Sam and it all works out in the end.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 9
Kudos: 121





	Of Miscommunications and Museums

**Author's Note:**

  * For [electricvallie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/electricvallie/gifts).



> Written based on the prompt in the summery suggested to me by electricvallie, so thank you for the suggestion!

Bucky was completely stuck. He had no idea what to do. He looked to Sam for help, but Sam just shrugged. Completely useless, Bucky didn’t even know what he invited him.

“I've never thought about male engagement rings, I rarely think of any type of engagement rings. Hell, I don’t even know if  _ Steve _ has ever thought about engagement rings,” Sam told him, defending his lack of input so far.

“You asked if there was any way you could help,” Bucky pointed out, “So, pick one.” Bucky pointed towards the large array of rings in front of both of them.

“I will help, I can’t pick _ for  _ you,” Sam said, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“Right now you are not doing either,” Bucky snapped back. Sam rolled his eyes. 

“Alright, fine,” Sam said, “What do you think that Steve would want?” Bucky rolled his eyes. As if they both hadn’t been thinking about that the whole time. Bucky didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response, though. Instead he just looked back at the rings. There wasn’t a huge selection, much less since they had already agreed that Steve wouldn’t want any form of jewel. Even though they had money now, Steve always felt uncomfortable with any form of extravagant spending. Honestly, Bucky felt exactly the same. 

That meant that really they were only picking material and width. Two things which Bucky knew he himself would never care about, but he was convinced he had to get it perfect for Steve. He didn’t know if it was possible, but he was going to do it. 

“I suppose color is a good place to start,” Sam suggested after a few moments of silence, “And he dresses like an old man, so he would probably appreciate something from an older style, maybe similar to the style when you were young.” 

“It’s not exactly like he got a fashion lesson when he got out of the ice. I would be surprised if he ever bought a single piece of clothing, just wearing what Shield brought for him. I don’t think we can base it off his clothes,” Bucky said, still looking at the rings. They were beginning to blend together in his vision. 

“Alright, so what do you think we should base the color off of?” Sam asked. Bucky bit his lip, trying to think of any justification for any of the colors. 

“I don’t know,” he eventually replied. 

“I think you do know. What were you just thinking about?” Sam pressed. 

“I can’t know anything, I was brainwashed and forgot the entire first part of our relationship for decades,” Bucky protested. Sam hummed.

“Now that’s just deflecting. You were brainwashed, but you have been making decisions on your own just fine for the past three years. I think you  _ do _ have an inkling, you are just afraid to be wrong. But as you have reminded me multiple times, you know him better than anyone, if you think it is right, it probably is.”

“Yeah, but then if I get it wrong I can’t blame you,” Bucky muttered, picking up one of the rings and idly flipping it through his fingers. Sam snorted. Bucky raised his eyebrows at him, not thinking he had said anything particularly shocking. Sam raised his eyebrows right back.

“You do realize that was the third time you have picked that ring up since we have been here,” Sam told him pointing at Bucky’s hand. Bucky looked down at what he was holding. It was a completely simple silver ring, about an average width, he would qualify it as thin or wide. It really just looked completely ordinary. 

“It’s so simple,” Bucky said, continuing to flip it over, “What if it is too simple? What if he thinks I just picked a random one? That I didn’t care enough to look more?” 

“Bucky, you could propose to him with a wire you twisted into a circle and he would love it. You don’t even have to get him a ring, he would still love it. Hell, if you just told him to go down to the courthouse with you today, you would probably just be able to get the words out before he was dragging you out the door,” Sam told him.

“But I want it to be nice,” Bucky argued, gripping the ring now. That didn’t fully encapsulate what he wanted to say, but he hoped it got the message across. He had never even dreamed something like this was possible during the war, and now he wanted to do it right. Steve deserved that. 

“if you want it to be nice, get that,” Sam pointed to the ring in his hands, the same ring Bucky was now completely unwilling to put down, “You could get it engraved if you want it to be more personal, but I am telling you. Your instincts know what to do, even if you don’t. That’s what you told me it felt like at the beginning, and so that is what I am telling you now. Get the ring.” 

Bucky looked down at it again. The fact he still couldn’t let go was probably a good sign. And, begrudgingly, he had to admit Sam was right. His instincts kept him from killing Steve, told him how to care for Steve, told him the right time for every move he had made in their relationship so far. They had to be right about this too. 

“Let’s get it,” Bucky agreed, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Sam beamed at him, clapping him on the shoulder. Bucky couldn’t help the nerves as he walked up to the counter. He felt like as soon as she saw what he was buying she was going to glare at him, push a secret button for the cops or something. 

None of that happened though. He handed over the ring, which was already Steve’s size, and told her the engraving he wanted. It was another instinct. One interlaced with a memory he really hoped was not a dream. The only time she looked confused was when he wrote down what he wanted the engraving to be, but he knew why. It had to be an odd request.

By the end she rattled off his total, and told them it would be about a few hours wait for the engraving, and Sam gave his phone number so they could get a text when it was ready. And that was it. In less than two hours he would have everything he needed to propose. He already had the perfect cover set up, having it set up that every Saturday they spent together, no matter what. He had managed to get an art museum to open one exhibit to them after hours. He knew Steve would love it. 

The only problem was, he somehow had to hide this ring in their apartment which really didn’t have anything in it. Which meant hiding it in the floors or the walls. Which he couldn’t exactly do while Steve was home. 

Steve had said he was going to be at some meeting today, so Bucky had assumed he would be able to get back in time. But with the few extra hours for the engraving he wasn’t sure. So somehow he had to make sure Steve wouldn’t be home, and not make it sound like anything out of the ordinary. 

Steve was the last person he called, so it only took one click before the line was ringing. He brought the phone up to his ear and waited. It took a while but eventually Steve picked up. 

“Is something wrong, Buck?” Steve asked immediately, his voice laced with concern. Bucky chuckled a bit. 

“Nothings wrong, I was just wondering when you would be home,” Bucky replied. Steve breathed out slowly, signaling relief. 

“I don’t know, honestly. I’m just out with Sam, we were just talking about catching a movie or something,” Steve responded. Bucky’s entire body tensed. Sam noticed next to him, his expression filled with concern. Bucky couldn’t speak. There had to be a good reason for this, right? 

“Okay, can you just let me know when you are heading back home?” Bucky managed to get out, unable to process what just happened, so instead resorting to the reason he called in the first place. 

“Of course,” Steve agreed easily, “Listen, I have to go now, we have to get to the, um, theater before the movie starts. But I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yep,” Bucky replied before he heard the call end. He removed the phone slowly from his ear. He was frozen in place for a bit, just thinking. Who would Steve be going to the movies with that he didn’t want Bucky to know about it? The only person he could even think of that they knew was Tony, but that is just because Bucky had never gotten along with him. He didn’t care if Steve wanted to get closer to him, as long as Bucky didn’t have to be present. 

Then of course it could be someone Bucky had never met, but that unsettled him. Steve had been so worried about Bucky in the beginning. Desperate for him to make any friends, he introduced Bucky to what felt like every person he was even loosely acquainted with. It was over the course of the past few years, and all once he felt comfortable enough to be around new people, but it was still overwhelming. There couldn’t possibly be more. 

But then there is the obvious explanation. If the person didn’t want to meet Bucky. Or even worse, if Steve didn’t want him to meet someone. That thought churned his stomach, but he couldn’t help but feel it was the truth. He had just showed up in Steve’s life, expecting him to just change everything to accommodate him. Steve had been out of the ice for years, it would have been perfectly reasonable for him to have found someone. Someone who meant to him what Bucky had meant to him before all of the generations went by. 

Then what happened, Bucky came back, a complete mess. Steve had always let him do anything he wanted ever since he saw him again in this generation. He had almost let Bucky kill him for god's sake. So at the beginning of this year when he brought up the memories of the time they had spent huddled together, stealing what time they could, of course Steve went along with it. If he thought it would help Bucky get better, he would do anything, even if there was someone else. He would put up with Bucky’s touch even if he didn’t love him anymore. 

Bucky could feel the bile rising in his stomach. He had been forcing himself on Steve for almost an entire year. He should have noticed it, especially when about a month ago he had started to go out for secret appointments. Bucky had been wary of them, but didn’t think too much of it, because Steve always came back. He had always told Bucky not to worry, that it was nothing dangerous. Of course it wasn’t dangerous, he was going to meet the person he loved. The person he was forced to hide because of what Bucky wanted. 

Bucky was frozen, he didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t propose, Steve would say yes out of obligation. He would end up stuck with Bucky even more than he already was. So he had to stand a wait for a ring that he would never use. He would have to return it, tell the clerk he wasn’t proposing after all. It was either that or keep it as a reminder for the way he failed his best friend. The life he would never have because he never really did. 

“Bucky. Bucky, come on man.” Bucky slowly became aware that Sam was standing next to him, repeating his name, one Sam pinched his arm hard. He turned his head more toward him, and Sam seemed relieved at that. 

“Hey man, I’m assuming you lost some time. I tried to get out of it in the beginning, but nothing was working. I didn’t want to endanger you or anyone else here. I figured you’d come out of it soon, but then you started clenching your fists so hard you started bleeding, and I had to do something,” Sam explained. Bucky nodded jerkily. 

“How long was I out?” He asked. Sam shrugged.

“I think thirty to forty minutes. Do you want to go somewhere? I can get you home, pick up the ring for you and bring it over to your apartment,” he offered. Bucky nodded again, not trusting himself to say much more. 

“I am going to touch your arm to keep you grounded until we get to the car,” Sam told him. Bucky nodded yet again to signal his approval. He didn’t pay attention to where he was going, his brain barely online enough to be slightly impressed he trusted Sam this much. 

Bucky could feel Sam holding in something, but honestly Bucky was glad he was. He didn’t know if he could deal with whatever Sam was going to talk to him about. Especially if it was because Sam knew. Then he really couldn’t trust anyone. All this time they had just been treating him as something to be coddled not someone that anyone actually wanted to hang out with. They did it out of obligation. Because Bucky wasn’t a person, he was an obligation. He forced that on Steve, and Steve needed help, so he put it on Sam. 

Bucky needed to leave. He could go to a different country, become invisible. No one would find him, they could lose that obligation. He would never be a burden again. Steve could be happy. He could tell everyone he was in love, they could all meet that person. Steve and Sam would never have to worry about him again. On the drive back he started thinking about how quickly he could pack everything up. He really only needed the one bag he had hid in the ceiling of their bedroom. He could be out of the country by tomorrow. He just needed to look into transportation. Steve would never need to see him again.

A plan in mind, as soon as he got out of the car he made a beeline for the door, swiftly undoing all of the locks. He hesitated once he got inside, thinking about the life he had here. It was easily the best year of his life, there was no competition. He hated how fondly he thought about it even though he knew it was all fake. God he should have known it was too good to be true. He was about to go to the bedroom when he heard Sam outside. 

“You’re a fuckin’ asshole and I’m going to fuckin’ kill you,” he heard Sam say, presumably into a phone. He really hoped it wasn’t at him, but the way his day was going, he wouldn’t be surprising if he had been talking to Bucky. But then there was a pause before Sam talked again. 

“What the fuck did you say to him,” he growled out. Okay, so Sam was probably talking to Steve. That was fine, their time as caretakers was going to be over soon. They wouldn’t have to worry anymore. 

“You are such a fuckin’ idiot, get back here now,” there was another pause, “I don’t give two shits who you’re with, you need to come back here  _ right now _ .” Then Bucky did gag. Sam knew. They both knew, all this time. Everything was a lie. Steve was on a date right now and he had to leave because of Bucky. They were still talking in the background, but he wasn’t listening anymore. Bucky went to Steve’s bedroom and grabbed his bag, not caring about how much he damaged the ceiling getting it out. They thought he was unhinged anyway. 

When he walked back out into the living area Sam was sitting on the couch. Everything about his mannerisms was screaming that he was furious. When he saw Bucky, however, he tried to calm himself. That was until he saw the pack slung over his shoulder, that image clearly shocked him.

“Where’re you going?” He asked, the same forced calm present in his voice.

“I don’t know yet,” Bucky answered honestly, “You don’t have to worry about me. I know enough languages I can get by anywhere.” Sam breathed in carefully. 

“Bucky, I’m not going to prevent you from leaving. You have that right. I only ask that you tell me why.”

“It is better,” Bucky said shortly, not wanting to explain anymore. But, of course Sam pushed. Bucky was never going to spend this much time with a therapist recreationally again.

“Better for who, Steve or yourself?” 

“That is irrelevant,” Bucky replied, “If it is better, it is better.” 

“Something being better is subjective. It’s different to every person who encounters it.”

“If I really have the right to leave I don’t have to answer any of these questions,” Bucky told him, setting his jaw. Sam sighed.

“Please at least tell Steve, he will just keep looking for you if you don’t,” Sam said. Bucky didn’t know if he could do that, but he had to. Steve had given up so much, the least he could do is free him from his obligation to Bucky. 

“Fine,” Bucky responded, sitting down in a chair stiffly, but not putting down his pack. Sam nodded. 

“Thank you,” he told him. Bucky didn’t have to answer that. All he had to do is tell Steve he was leaving and not to follow him. That it was better, he was going to be free from Bucky. 

“He should be here soon,” Sam said.

“He didn’t have to leave,” Bucky responded, wanting to be as unobtrusive as possible. But he supposed Steve could always go back afterward. And this way Steve would never have to do something like this again. 

“He didn’t mind,” was Sam's response, and Bucky couldn’t help but snort. He clearly did. 

“No, Bucky, whatever he is doing, you are always more important,” Sam continued, protesting against the noise. Bucky snorted again and Sam sighed, clearly giving up. 

“So are we gonna talk about this?” Sam asked after a few moments. 

“I don’t really see what good that would do,” Bucky answered. Sam nodded, as if he expected that answer. So they sat in silence. 

Steve came bursting in the apartment, there really wasn’t any other word for it. He looked a bit frantic, eyes quickly scanning around until he saw Bucky. He seemed to be calmed for a second, until he noticed the pack. Then the wild look in his eyes came back. 

“Bucky?” He asked, his voice breaking slightly.

“Now, this is why you needed to come back,” Sam said, but Steve didn’t even look at him. 

“Bucky, what’s going on?” Well, this was it. 

“You don’t have to worry, I know now. You don’t need to do anything else. I’m out of your hands now. You’ve done so much, you don’t have to feel obligated anymore. I won’t even stay in the country,” Bucky explained, but as soon as the last section was out of his mouth Steve’s hand shot out, grabbing his arm. Bucky wasn’t quite done, but the abrupt touch jerked him out of his flow. He looked down the grip. 

“Bucky,” Steve’s voice was filled with pain, something which was incredibly confusing for Bucky. He said he was leaving, Steve didn’t have to keep this act up anymore. Bucky patted his hand a bit stiffly. 

“I’ll be fine, you don’t have to worry,” Bucky’s voice sounded as impersonal as the gesture was. This is when Steve turned towards Sam, looking for some reason. Sam just glared. 

“Alright, this is when the two of you talk about that phone call, because I only heard half of it, but whatever this is clearly stemmed from that. So, talk,” Sam waved his hands, and Bucky set his jaw. He didn’t want to hear Steve say there was someone else, that Bucky should leave. After everything, he didn’t know if he could handle that. So Bucky talked first.

“It’s fine, you don’t have to explain. I know your life would be easier without me, I won’t make you say it. You can be with whoever you want, I won’t hold you back.”

“Nothing you do holds me back, you are who I want to spend time with, above anyone else. There never was anyone else, there won’t ever be,” Steve sounded like he was begging now. It was all really just too much, “I know I lied about who I was with, but that is because I have been trying to get a surprise together for your birthday.” That caused Bucky’s brain to short-circuit. 

“What?” Bucky barely breathed out. 

“I’ve been meeting with people at the Smithsonian to get all of our old stuff back. They have really been putting up a fuss, saying that it has been drawing the most crowds of any exhibit since I got out of the ice. There has been so many logistics of ownership since this whole thing is unprecedented, but I finally got them to agree. I was just talking to the director today, and I should be able to pick up everything on Friday. Turns out all I had to do was threaten them with the press. They are super excited to get the good PR of releasing it back to us rather than me telling everyone they were refusing,” Steve continued. 

“What?” Bucky repeated. This doesn’t make sense with anything else he had thought. Steve wouldn’t have come up with a lie like this only for his benefit, right? But if he was talking the truth, then Steve didn’t want him to leave. Everything had been real. He didn’t know which to believe and they were so at odds he couldn’t comprehend it. 

He looked back at Steve’s face, knowing how distraught his face must look. But he didn’t care, he had to know what was the truth. He couldn’t deal with it anymore, he had to physically hold off himself from just shutting down completely. 

“Bucky,” Steve said, using his hand on Bucky’s arm to pull Bucky up and into his arms. 

“I don’t know what is going through your head right now, but that is the truth. You can see once I get everything back. I don’t think you are an obligation or a burden, I love you. I don’t want you to leave,” Steve just kept murmuring words of encouragement, starting to run his fingers through Bucky’s hair. 

“Is this real?” Bucky finally asked. Steve pulled back so he could be looking in Bucky’s eyes. 

“This is real. I promise, all of this is real,” Steve answered. Bucky finally allowed himself to reach up and clutch Steve back, pushing himself into Steve even more. 

“Alright, I am going to trust that we’re in a better place, so I’m gonna go continue what me and Bucky were doing, I’ll be back soon,” Sam interrupted quickly. Bucky felt Steve nod, but his eyes had closed at some point. There was too much stimulus, he needed to limit it. The door opened and closed. 

“Do you want to talk about what went through your head?” Steve asked after a few moments. Bucky couldn’t decide. He didn’t respond.

“I’d like to know so I can keep it from happening again,” Steve continued after it became clear Bucky wasn’t answering. Bucky could understand that. He nodded. He explained as simply as he could, not wanting to dwell on anything. Steve kept tensing, trying to bring Bucky closer. 

“Buck, I’ll never leave you by choice. You’re everything to me, you always have been. Looking for someone else didn’t even cross my mind when I got out of this ice. You’re it for me. If you want to go down to the courthouse right now, I would do so in a heartbeat.” Steve clearly had more to say, but Bucky chuckled a bit under his breath, which clearly startled Steve.

“Did I say something wrong?” Steve asked and Bucky shook his head immediately. 

“Sam said you would, earlier, go down to the courthouse” Bucky said. It didn’t come out exactly right, but Steve got the message.

“It’s ‘cause it’s true,” Steve affirmed. 

“You’re it for me too,” Bucky told him, feeling completely exhausted at this point. He knew he was sagging into Steve, and not in any romantic way this time. Steve maneuvered them so they could sit on the couch. Bucky could tell how worried Steve was now, fussing to make sure Bucky was comfortable, but Bucky cupped his face, effectively stopping him from moving. 

“I’m going to kiss you now, okay?” Bucky stated, but he left room for Steve to back away.

“Yes,” Steve breathed out, and Bucky pressed their lips together before he could say anything else. After all of the high emotions it probably should have been desperate, but Bucky didn’t have the energy for that. And Steve would always give in and let Bucky kiss him however he wanted to. At first that had made Bucky nervous, that maybe Steve didn’t actually want him, but then he remembered it had always been like that, even before the train happened. 

So the kiss was slow and gentle, an affirmation of everything they had said rather than the proof. In that moment that was all Bucky really needed, and it seemed like Steve did too. 

So that is how Sam found them a minute later. Bucky had heard the door open, but he didn’t care. He was doing this because Steve wanted it too, and nothing would ever be better than knowing that. Luckily for him though, Sam was smart. He took the opportunity of Bucky distracting Steve to press the ring box into Bucky’s pack. Then he cleared his throat, so Bucky pulled back. 

“Well, I was really just checking up on you two, and everything seems to be going fine, so I am just gonna go,” Sam announced, “This doesn’t me either of you are off the hook, by the way, but I think we could all use some decompression. And I could use a burger.” With that, Sam left once again. 

“Is that all he really came back for?” Steve asked, confused. Bucky could easily come up with some one-liner about Sam and deflect from that, but at this point he just wanted to make everything official. And really, what better place was there then the apartment they had made their home. He didn’t realize how attached he had become to the apartment, but it really was a symbol of this time for him now. This year, the best year of his life. 

Bucky shook his head, reaching into his pack. Steve looked curious, but didn’t say anything, so Bucky just went on with his task. He found it instantly, as it had just been placed in there. The box was soft and small. He almost couldn’t bring himself to bring it out. Even though he knew what the answer could be, which was really quite ridiculous. 

He did pull it out, however. As soon as Steve realized what it was, he stiffened and his grip on Bucky tightened. Bucky’s heart was beating against his ribcage, he could hear it now. But if forced his voice to be steady.

“He came to give me this,” Bucky told him, meeting his eyes. Steve was completely frozen, his mouth opening slightly but now sound came out. Bucky slipped down off the couch and onto the ground, on one knee.

“Steven Grant Rogers, will you marry me?” Bucky asked, opening the box.

“Yes,” Steve answered immediately, like he was afraid that if he waited even a second it would be too late. Bucky couldn’t help the grin that overtook his face as he took the ring out and slid it on Steve’s left hand. He barely had a chance to, however, and Steve grabbed his face and kissed him. Bucky let out a surprised noise, but leaned into it.

Steve broke away a few seconds later, letting go of Bucky as well, grabbing the ring on his finger and taking it off. Now it was Bucky’s turn to be confused. 

“I’m putting it on my right hand,” Steve explained, “Because that is the hand you are going to be able to put it on, and the whole point of this is so we match.” Bucky could feel his expression glowing a bit. 

“Wait, before you put it on, there is something on the inside,” Bucky told him, realizing Steve had never actually had a chance to look at it closely. 

Steve did bring it close, peering into the inside of the band. As soon as he saw it he recognized what it was he looked back at Bucky. Bucky underwood the look on his face, because he knew what he was seeing. 32557038 carved into the band.

“Bucky,” Steve breathed out, the ring now clenched into his fist. 

“It really did happen, didn’t it?” Bucky asked and Steve nodded, a single tear in one of his eyes. He squeezed them shut to get rid of it, using his free hand to take the dog tags out of his shirt. Sure enough there were two different ones, one of Steve’s and one of Bucky’s. 

“I thought so. The first thing I thought of when I thought of rings was our serial numbers. I guess this is why,” Bucky said, lifting the tags gently, “Can you remind me? All I can see is the forest, slipping the tag onto the chain.”

“That was pretty much what happened. You pulled me aside when we were walking on a perimeter. You were trying to be confident, but you looked so nervous I thought you were going to ask me to help you hide a body or something. But then you took out your tags, said you wanted to give me one, so that no matter what I would always have a part of me with you. I was going to say that you were always going to be with me, but you looked so desperate. And I wanted it so bad. So instead I just said only if you will take one of mine. We did it right there, with promises of sticking together forever. In my head they were always our rings.”

“They were in my head too,” Bucky told him, resting his forehead against Steve’s, his dog tags hanging between them. Bucky was still kneeling, so it wasn’t the most comfortable position, but he had endured much worse. And then he hadn’t been able to drag Steve into a kiss. 

“I feel weird putting this on now when you don’t have yours,” Steve murmured against his lips as he pulled away. 

“We can go and get it now,” Bucky replied, figure the place would still be open for a few hours. Steve immediately sat up straight. 

“Really?” He asked. Bucky just shrugged.

“I don’t see why not.” 

When they walked into the store the same people were still working, and they all had knowing looks on their faces. Bucky was quickly able to point out the same ring Steve now had, getting one fit for himself. He brought it up to the counter and wrote down Steve’s serial number to get it engraved as well. 

Once they got it Bucky looked at the inside in wonder never actually getting a good look at the one that Steve had. The font was simple and easily readable. 54985870. 

Steve insisted they wait until they get home, so Bucky was buzzing the whole way back, constantly opening and closing the box. At some point Steve reached over and grabbed his hand, lacing their fingers together and bringing the hand up to his lips, kissing his ring finger. 

As soon as Bucky got home he pushed the box into Steve’s hand. 

“This isn’t the most romantic place, but,” he started, but Steve just shook his head, and gave his box back over to Bucky.

“The last time we did this we were in the middle of a war-zone. At least here our chance of being shot right now if much lower,” Steve interrupted. Bucky smiled, taking the ring out and tossing the box aside. 

“I would say till death do us part, but I think we are a bit past that,” Bucky said as he held out the ring. Steve shook his head.

“You’re everything Buck, I’ve loved you goin’ on eight generations, I’m gonna love you at least eight more,” Steve vowed. Bucky chuckled. 

“You were asleep for most of that, punk,” he pointed out. 

“Still loved ya, Buck,” Steve replied easily. 

“Yeah, I love you too. And if you are saying eight generations I am too,” Bucky responded. Steve beamed at him. He slipped the ring easily on Steve’s right hand, and Steve did the same to him. The weight was new, but it felt familiar somehow, right. And it was all he could do to pull Steve close and press their lips together, and that felt even more right. 


End file.
